What Does What Grandma Says Have To Do With It?

There is some very good reporting on the strange situation in Cuba right now at the BBC. Sadly for English-speakers though, it is only on the Beeb's Spanish Language service.

My Spanish is more than a little rusty, but I'll try:

Un unico comandante

(One Sole Commander)

Fernando Ravsberg
BBC Mundo, La Habana

(BBC World, Havana)

El periodico oficial Granma parece haber salido a responder a los rumores surgidos al no aparecer Raul Castro en publico, afirmando que el unico sucesor digno de Fidel Castro es el Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC).

(The official newspaper Granma seems to have responded to the rumors about the failure of Raul Casto to appear in public, affirming that the only proper successor to Fidel is the Communist Party of Cuba.)

El periodico--entre lineas, como casi siempre hay que leerlo--recuerda que esas fueron las palabras del ministro de Defensa, Raul Castro, en su ultima alocucion publica y agrega que solo habra un Comandante en Jefe que es Fidel.
Las autoridades parecen estar intentando despersonalizar al actual gobierno, mostrando una direccion colectiva, la misma que aparece en la proclama escrita por Fidel Castro anunciando su retiro temporal.

(The newspaper--between the lines, as almost always you have to read it--records that these were the words of the Minister of Defense, Raul Castro, in his most recent public statements and confirmed that there will only be one Commander in Chief: Fidel. The authorities seem to be intent on de-personalizing the current government, showing a collective management, that same that appeared in the written proclamation in which Fidel Castro announced his temporary retirement.)

Esa direccion esta compuesta, ademas de Raul, por Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, Jose Ramon Balaguer, Esteben Lazo y el vicepresidente Carlos Lage, todos ellos a cargo de los grandes proyectos de la Revolución.

(This management is made up by, other than Raul, Venture, Balaguer, Lazo and the vice-president Lage, all of whom are in charge of the great projects of the Revolution.)

En un segundo nivel quedarian otros politicos y miembros del Buro Politico del PCC, tan importantes como el canciller, Felipe Perez Roque, o el presidente del parlamento, Ricardo Alarcon.

(In the second level there are other politicians and members of the Politburo, some very important like the Foreign Minister Roque or the President of Parliament Alarcon).

Versiones optimistas

(Optimistic versions)

Sin embargo, no hay que olvidar que todas estas adecuaciones del poder en Cuba son transitorias, "por unas semanas", afirmo Fidel Castro en su primer comunicado, en espera de que mejore su salud.

(However, there is no forgeting that all these indications of power in Cuba are temporary, "for some weeks" as Fidel Castro affirmed in his first communication, in the hope of the improvement of his health).

Y aunque no hay nada oficial sobre el estado del paciente, las versiones de sus familiares hacen suponer que el mandatario se recupera de forma acelerada, por lo que la sucesion parece mas transitoria que nunca.

(And although there is no official word on the state of the patient, the version from his intimates suppose that the leader is recuperating rapidly, and that questions of successor are more temporary than anything else.)

Por una parte su hermana de Miami, Juanita Castro, afirmo hace unas pocas horas a la BBC que Fidel ya salio de la sala de cuidados intensivos, segun le informaron fuentes familiares telefonicamente.

(For her part, his sister in Miami (!), Juanita Castro, affirmed a few hours ago to the BBC that Fidal has already left the Intensive Care Unit, according to information from relatives related by telephone).

La otra version es la de su hijo predilecto, el doctor Antonio Castro, que el miercoles comio con un grupo de empresarios mallorquines a los que les informo que la operacion habia sido un exito y que su padre se recupera rapidamente.

(The other version is from his [something] son, the doctor Antonio Castro, who on Wednesday told a group of businessment that the operation had been a success and that his father would recover rapidly.)

Esta podria ser la otra razon por la que Raul Castro no se ve en la necesidad de aparecer en publico. Dado lo efimero que puede ser su mandato al frente del pais, no tendria muchas cosas que decir a la poblacion.

(This could be the other reason that Raul Castro has not seen any necessity to appear in public. [Lost it here...something about how given what has been told to he population there may not be anything more that Raul can tell them]).

Sin embargo, no dejan de aparecer referencias a su persona en la prensa. El jueves Granma decia, por ejemplo, que "Raul esta firme al timon de la nacion y de las Fuerzas Armadas".

(However, there has been no stop to personal references to Raul in the press. Thursday's edition of Granma said, for example, that "Raule has control of the nation and the Armed Forces").

Ayer, en la mesa redonda de la TV, se hicieron incluso varias referencias a las "borracheras secas de Bush" y a la resistencia que enfrentarian si intentan una accion belica contra la isla aprovechando la situacion.

(Yesterday, a round table discussion on TV included various references to the "dry drunks of Bush" an dthe resisitence they would meet if they intend a bellicose action agsint the island in an attempt to take advantage of the situation.)

El gobierno cubano sigue considerando posible un ataque de EE.UU. y esa podria ser la explicacion para la movilizacion de tropas -Fuerzas Armadas, reservistas y milicias- que esta ocurriendo en la isla.

(The Cuban Government has considered it possible that an attack from the United States and for this reason is its explanation for the mobilization of troops, the Armed Forces, reserves and militia, that is occurring on the island.)

Por lo demas el pais sigue tranquilo, la gente va por las mananas a su trabajo, las amas de casa llenan los mercados, las colas en la heladeria Copelia son interminables y las playas estan repletas.

(For now, the country is tranquil, the people go to their jobs in the morning, the housewives go to the markets, the lines at the big ice cream shop are endless and the beaches are [resplendant?]).

Okay, this guy has to write from Havana, so I'm going to cut him some slack on some of the more cringe-making elements here.

But, then again, he is more or less telling us, in very thinly disguised code, to read not only between the lines of Granma but his own report.

And what do we see here?

That, despite some references to Raul holding personal power, the new tone in the official publications points to a collective leadership, the kind of thing we saw in the Soviet Union after the death of Brezhnev. This signals that all issues of succession are not settled, whatever Fidel has said, and that there is a power struggle going on in the inner circles.

Plus, the reporter is telling us something I haven't seen elsewhere: there has been a general mobilization of the Cuban military, down to the last reserve elements. Cuban officials say for domestic consumption that the US is going to invade just about every week; actual mobilization, however, is very rare.

None of which would be happening unless...unless Fidel were dead.

That's my guess. Your guess, however, is as good as mine....

Breaking News

From LGF poster zipity:

This just in: CNN is reporting that the Israelis deliberately bombed a building in Beirut that housed 100 Lebanese boys and girls who were holding puppies and kittens while singing "Give Peace a Chance". They were being looked after by the Last Magic Unicorn. All are dead. Film coming soon from CNN stringer company Jihadi Productions LLC.

He forgot to mention the collateral damage to the innovative business park/baby milk factory/mosque complex next door.

PM Harper: What A Difference An Election Makes

Regular readers here know how very well pleased I am with the rise of the Conservative Party of Canada and Prime Minister Harper. The man just continues to impress. Last month, Harper gave a speech in London prior to the G8 Summit, and, thanks to the excellent work of ConservativeHome. com--the rapidly growing unofficial offical blog of the Conservative Party of the UK--we now have available to us some excerpts from his speech.

What a difference an election makes:

A tribute to the legacy of the British Empire: "Now I know it's unfashionable to refer to colonialism in anything other than negative terms. And certainly, no part of the world is unscarred by the excesses of empires. But in the Canadian context, the actions of the British empire were largely benign and occasionally brilliant."

The great bond between Canada and Britain in defeating evil: "When Britain has bled, Canada has bled. A generation of our young men share eternity with British Tommies in the fields of France. Another generation of Britons and Canadians fought side by side against Nazi fascism. Yet another helped our American cousins prevail over the menace of Soviet communism. And ever since that brief, illusory moment when we thought we were witness to "the end of history," we have been allied in a new global conflict. It is a conflict without borders. A conflict fought abroad and at home. A conflict in which the aggressor stands for nothing yet seeks to impose its will. Through the destruction of terrorism. Through the slaughter of the innocent. And through the perversion of a faith. So once more we face, as Churchill put it "gangs of bandits who seek to darken the light of the world." And once more we must appeal to our values, marshal our resources and steadfastly apply our will to defeat them. This war on terror will not be easy. Nor will it be short. But it must be won. And Canada's new national government is absolutely determined, once again, to stand shoulder to shoulder with our british allies, to stay the course and to win the fight."

After years of Liberal weakness Canada is reassuming its defence responsibilities: "Ladies and gentlemen, during last winter's election campaign, I made it crystal clear where my party stood on national defence, foreign policy and the fight against terror. We promised to rebuild Canada's long-neglected armed forces. To reassert Canadian sovereignty over our arctic territories. And to reclaim the modest leadership role we once held on the world stage. And this is exactly what we have been doing since Canadians gave us their trust on January 23rd. One of my first actions as Prime Minister was to visit our soldiers in southern Afghanistan - who are standing shoulder to shoulder with British forces in the Kandahar and Helmand provinces. Together, they're taking the fight to the Taliban and helping the Afghan government assert control over these areas. And they are helping the Afghan people rebuild their war-ravaged country. Canada, like Britain, has committed to this mission for at least two more years. And committed to doing our duty for global peace and security over the long term. Which is why my government increased defence spending by two and a half billion pounds (over $5 billion) in our first budget. We are expanding the Canadian armed forces by recruiting and training 23,000 new regular and reserve troops. And we are providing them with the tools they need to carry out their missions. Last month, we launched a major new military procurement program."

Canada is an energy storehouse: "Our government is making new investments in renewable energy sources such as biofuels. And an ocean of oil-soaked sand lies under the muskeg of northern Alberta-my home province. The oil sands are the second largest oil deposit in the world, bigger than Iraq, Iran or Russia; exceeded only by Saudi Arabia. Digging the bitumen out of the ground, squeezing out the oil and converting it in into synthetic crude is a monumental challenge. It requires vast amounts of capital, brobdingnagian technology, and an army of skilled workers. In short, it is an enterprise of epic proportions, akin to the building of the pyramids or China's great wall. Only bigger. By 2015, Canadian oil production is forecast to reach almost 4 million barrels a day. Two-thirds of it will come from the oil sands. Even now, Canada is the only non-OPEC country with growing oil deliverability. And let's be clear. We are a stable, reliable producer in a volatile, unpredictable world. We believe in the free exchange of energy products based on competitive market principles, not self-serving monopolistic political strategies. That's why policymakers in Washington – not to mention investors in Houston and New York – now talk about Canada and continental energy security in the same breath. That's why Canada surpassed the Saudis four years ago as the largest supplier of petroleum products to the United States. And that’s why industry analysts are recommending Canada as "possessing the most attractive combination of circumstances for energy investment of any place in the world." British companies are already significant players in the Canadian energy sector. BP has been there for 50 years. It's already one of our leading producers of natural gas and it has a major stake in Canada's next huge gas development - The Mackenzie River delta in the northwest territories. BG group has also accumulated a large exploration stake in the Mackenzie River valley. There are trillions of cubic feet of gas in the region, and we are hopeful that the huge pipeline needed to deliver it to southern markets will finally go ahead.

British firms invested nearly three billion pounds (over $6 billion) in our energy and metals sectors last year. And I think we'll see even more British investment as word of Canada's stature as the west's most important energy storehouse gets out."

God save The Queen: "Ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude by saying that I have no doubt that the "bonds of comradeship" Mr. Churchill talked about in the early 20th century will remain just as strong throughout the 21st. The "little island" and the "great dominion" are eternally bonded by language, culture, economics and values. That's why our business relationships are so strong and successful and why they will only growing stronger in the future. It's why our troops are again serving side by side – this time in Afghanistan - defending freedom and building democracy. Why our intelligence services are working hand in glove to keep our homelands safe and secure. And why I am honoured to have had this opportunity to speak to your organizations today. Thank you. Merci beaucoup. God bless Canada and God save the Queen."

Looks to me like the ol' Dominion is not quite dead just yet.

Also: Best use of the word "Brobdingnagian" in a speech by a major Western leader. Ever.

Occupied Territory

A friend points me to a forum where Israeli military affairs are discussed and images (cleared by Israeli military censors) are posted. After browsing the forum, I demand the immediate occupation of Portland, Oregon by specific IDF troops.

I'll even buy the beers.









No wonder the Muslims have so much rage. Not only are the other side's women a lot better looking, they also have been kicking Islamic ass for 60 years.

The Climate and the United Kingdom and the Greenhouse Gasses and the Environment and Things of That Nature

Quick Pop Quiz: What is wrong with this picture? From the BBC:

California and UK in climate pact

The UK and California are to work together on reducing greenhouse gases and promoting low carbon technologies.

The agreement came after a climate change meeting in Long Beach of Tony Blair, the US state's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and business leaders.

A "mission statement" said the two would, among other things, "share experiences" and "find new solutions".

They would look at whether they could co-operate on an emissions trading scheme, said a spokesman for Mr Blair.

"We are at least on our way to putting in place the framework that will resolve this problem," Mr Blair said in a press conference afterwards.

'Aggressive action'

The meeting - also attended by BP boss Lord Browne and Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson - follows climate change talks between Mr Blair and US President George W Bush at the G8 summit.

The resulting mission statement - signed by both Mr Blair and Mr Schwarzenegger - says Britain and California will "commit to urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies".

"California and the UK recognise the linkages between climate change, energy security, human health and robust economic growth," it adds.

"Working together, California and the UK commit to build upon current efforts, share experiences, find new solutions and work to educate the public on the need for aggressive action to address climate change and promote energy diversity."

I don't expect the British to understand the U.S. Constitution. Well, I used to expect them to understand it, but after you've read your 378th story in the British press about how the President "failed to ratify" the Kyoto Treaty or noting that the President "did not offer clemency" to a Florida death row inmate or, my personal favorite, how Bush won the Presidency in 2000 "despite losing the popular vote," I've given up in that regard.

But what is the Governator's excuse?

Article I, Section 10, Ah-Nuld. Look it up.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Now this clause is more elastic than it first seems. But, if the BBC story is accurate, there cannot be a "pact" between California and the UK and somebody better run down to District Court real quick and put an end to this before the Governor accidentally sets off a real conflict with the President.

Out, Damned Picque-Nique!

You know how conservatives make fun of liberals all the time because liberals put their feelings ahead of a thing we fuddy-duddies like to call "objective reality"?

Imagine a world where liberals agree with that and *still* insist on having their made-up greivances acknowledged.

Well, imagine no longer! The American campus can make dreams come true, including dreams of oppression.

From Volokh, quoting the Albany Times Union of Apr. 18, 2000:

To many, the word picnic conjures images of romance, of leisurely days in the park with cheese and a bottle of wine.

But for 40 University at Albany students, it harks back to an ugly chapter in American history -- when picnic, they alleged, meant a racist lynching....

Zaheer Mustafa, a student who serves as affirmative action director for the Student Assembly, issued the warning despite learning that the word had a harmless French derivation. It stems from the 17th-century pique-nique and referred to a fashionable type of social entertainment in which each person who attended brought a share of the food.

"My job is to make sure people from underrepresented groups are heard," Mustafa said. "Whether the claims are true or not, the point is the word offended."

This is what "social justice" means: the right of a liberal to declare your speech offensive, thus hateful, thus criminal, thus shutting you the hell up, even if there exists no rational or objective basis beyond the liberal's feelings for the original objection.

Shocka: Leftist Newspaper Columnist Actually Accepts Responsibility

The invaluable Tim Blair, with the help of some of his readers, directed our collective attention to Sunday Age (Australia) columnist Terry Lane and his recent column about "U.S. war crimes" in Iraq based on the testimony of "former U.S. Army Ranger" Jesse MacBeth and his "fight in Iraq."

Regulars of the right Blogosphere already know that MacBeth was not, in fact, a Ranger and never served in Iraq, having washed out of Army boot camp. The false statements MacBeth made in that guise, however, are now staples in European and some American leftist circles, a sort of latter day John Kerry Winter Soldier, telling the Left what it wants so desperately to hear about our soldiers.

Blair and company set about correcting the record and revealing Lane's lies and then, shock of all shocks, rather than complain about how he was set up or about how while MacBeth may be fake the story he told was all too genuine, Lane actually stood up and took responsibility. From his statement:

There are three unforgivable sins in journalism: plagiarism, fabrication and failing to check the facts. I am guilty of the last.

It came about like this. My attention was drawn to what looked like a professionally packaged documentary video in which "US Ranger" (I now know that that is bogus) Jesse Macbeth recounts his experiences as a soldier in Iraq, where he claimed to have served for 16 months.

I was completely taken in by his fake sincerity. That, I suppose, could be excusable for any person with no responsibility to check bona fides, but in my case I fell for it because I wanted to believe it. That is inexcusable. As soon as I was made aware of what I had done I offered my resignation to Peter Fray, the editor of The Sunday Age. I have embarrassed the newspaper for which I have written since the first issue which makes me ashamed.

There are no excuses. No extenuating circumstances. Opinion writers are not expected to be objective and disinterested but that doesn't give licence to be indifferent to facts. I should have checked.

Wow.

Any chance of booking Lane for a tour of the newsrooms of the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, CBS and CNN?

We could call it the "Speaking Truth to Power Journalistic Ethics Tour 2006" and pass out commemorative plastic turkeys.